Conquering Fear (Revelation 2:8-11)

A Study of Revelation 2:8-11

Part of the

Series

Presented on February 1, 2015 at Calvary Bible Church East in Kalamazoo, Michigan

by

Calvary Bible Church East 5495 East Main St Kalamazoo, MI 49048 CalvaryEast.com Copyright © 2015 by Bryan Craddock Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved

In 2009 an art collector paid almost $120 million for the iconic painting known as The Scream. This haunting work of art created by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch flows from his own life story. He lost his mother at age 5, his father was emotionally unstable, his family lived in poverty, and Edvard himself was chronically ill as a child and struggled with acute anxiety throughout his life. I think The Scream is popular because it captures the powerful effect of fear in our lives.

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If left unchecked fear can enslave us, stifling any joy and choking out every hopeful thought. What do you fear? Embarrassment? Rejection? Pain? Injury?

Sickness? Poverty? Death? When we give in to those fears, they begin to take the place of God in our lives.

Our fears are our idols.

Many people consider the contents of the book of Revelation to be frightening, but it was written as an encouragement for Christian believers. The original recipients of the book faced tremendous opposition to their faith, particularly in the city of Smyrna. Jesus addressed them in Revelation 2:8-11.

And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: “The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. "'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to

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the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.”

Most of us cannot imagine what it would be like to face that kind of persecution for our faith. We might assume that this letter does not really apply to our situation, but at the center of the letter Jesus says, “Do not fear.” Though we live in a country where there is a general respect for the Christian faith, we are still timid. A lot of Christians only become vocal when they are angered by moral issues. Our fears keep us from living for God and from boldly sharing the good news of salvation in Christ.

Jesus’ letter to the church of Smyrna comforts us with four thoughts to conquer our fears. He was preparing the believers in Smyrna to be “faithful unto death.” They faced the possibility of martyrdom. So if these thoughts prepared those believers to conquer the ultimate fear, they can certainly help us find victory over lesser fears.

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Thought 1: The Power of Jesus .................................... 5 Thought 2: The Compassion of Jesus .......................... 9 Thought 3: The Wisdom of Jesus .............................. 13 Thought 4: The Reward of Jesus ............................... 16 Conclusion..................................................................20 Questions for Further Reflection ............................... 22

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When Neil Armstrong set foot on the surface of the moon in 1969, it seemed as if mankind had broken through a barrier showing American power in the midst of the Cold War. Yet since that point, only eleven other men have walked on the surface of the moon, all of them over 40 years ago. That barrier was stretched but not really broken.

Jesus, on the other hand, demonstrated his power by shattering the ultimate barrier, death itself.

Revelation 2:8 shows us two ways that Jesus has power over death. Jesus says, “And to the angel of the —5—

church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.’”

First, Jesus has power over death because of his divine nature as the Son of God. When he calls himself “the first and the last,” he is expressing the fact that he is eternal. He has always existed and will never cease to exist. He is not affected by death or decay or age; his power is constant. This attribute of God has always been a source of comfort for believers.

In Psalm 90:1-2, Moses said, “Lord, you have been our dwelling

place

in

all

generations.

Before

the

mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Things in our world are constantly changing, but God does not. We can have stability in our lives, even in the face of death, by having a relationship with the eternal God. Jesus also has power over death because of his resurrection. He describes himself in Revelation 2:8 as the one “who died and came to life.” Even though Jesus is eternal, he became human in order to experience death for us, but he did not stay dead. The Bible speaks of a handful of people who were brought

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back to life after they died. The Old Testament prophets Elijah and Elisha both raised people from the dead. Jesus also brought people back to life during his ministry, but these miraculous resuscitations were only temporary. All of these individuals died again, but that is not what happened with Jesus. When he appeared to John in Revelation 1, he said, “I died, and behold I am alive forevermore.” Jesus broke through that barrier completely.

Paul explains the powerful effect of Christ’s resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

The resurrection of Jesus was more than a one-time event. He removed the barrier of death, so that everyone can be resurrected. In 1 Corinthians 15:5455 Paul says, “When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the

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saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’”

In those moments when we are tempted to fear death or any lesser fear, we need to remember and celebrate the power of Jesus.

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The Bible is not complimenting us when it compares us to sheep. Sheep are unable to find their own food or water, they are prone to wander away and get lost, and they are easy prey for predators.

The one benefit of our similarity with sheep is that Jesus cares for us like a good shepherd. When we suffer we may think that we are alone and no one understands, but Jesus knows and he feels deep compassion

for

us.

In

Revelation

2:9,

Jesus

demonstrates his compassion for the believers in Smyrna. He says, “I know your tribulation and your —9—

poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.”

The book of Revelation was probably written over sixty years after the death and resurrection of Jesus.

By that point the gospel had spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. There were already hundreds, if not thousands, of Christians, but Jesus was still aware of the circumstances faced by the church in Smyrna. In fact, the connection between Jesus and his followers is so strong that he experiences our suffering with us. Prior to his conversion the Apostle Paul, or Saul as he was then known, persecuted Christians, but Acts 9:4-5 tells us, “And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ And he said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’” Whenever we as Christians suffer, Jesus shares that experience with us.

In the case of the believers in Smyrna, Jesus uses three words to describe their suffering. First, he speaks of tribulation. They were under pressure for

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their

faith.

Smyrna

was

known

for

devoutly

worshiping the Roman emperor. The unwillingness of Christian to participate would make them seem like political traitors. That perception may explain why they also suffered poverty; people might have avoided doing business with them. Finally, Jesus speaks of slander. Church history records that several false accusations were regularly made against Christians during the first few centuries of the church’s existence. They were considered cannibals for eating Christ’s flesh and drinking his blood. Some thought they must be sexually immoral because they referred to one another as brothers and sisters.

In Smyrna, these slanderous attacks came from the Jewish community. Outsiders tended to see Christianity as a Jewish sect and for good reason.

Christians accepted the fundamental teachings of the Jewish faith, they simply believed that Jesus is the promised Messiah of the Old Testament. The Jews who rejected Jesus wanted to distance themselves from Christians and discredit them. Lest there be any doubt among the Christians about whether the Jews

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were justified in their attacks, Jesus says they are not true Jews. He even calls them a synagogue of Satan.

Even in the midst of their suffering and poverty, Jesus says that they were actually rich. When life is going well and we have all that we need, we are tempted to ignore God. But when we lean upon Christ in hard times, we begin to see how blessed we are.

Paul speaks of this paradox in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.’”

Whenever you are tempted to fear any kind of suffering, remind yourself of the close connection we have with Jesus, our compassionate shepherd.

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Going to the doctor’s office is seldom an enjoyable experience. From an early age we learn that doctors want to stick sharp needles into us. If anyone else did that to us, we would call it assault, but we trust that doctors make us suffer for a good purpose. We rely upon their medical wisdom.

When we face suffering in life, we need to have a similar, but much greater confidence in Jesus. The first part of Revelation 2:10 gives us the perspective we need to think this way. Jesus says, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about — 13 —

to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation.”

We need to realize that suffering often comes into our lives at Satan’s initiative. The name Satan means adversary. From the Old Testament we learn that he was an angelic being who rebelled by wanting God’s glory for himself. Soon after creation he was there in the garden tempting Adam and Eve to disobey God’s command. Here he is called the devil, which means accuser. Job 1:11 records the accusations he made to God against Job, “But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” Satan was the one who brought suffering into Job’s life, but he could not do so without God’s permission.

In Revelation 2:10, Jesus reveals that Satan is going to have some of the believers in Smyrna thrown into prison. They were going to experience ten days of intense suffering. Some people think that this period of time may have some kind of symbolic significance, but nothing in the text suggests that. Just as in the case of Job, Satan is not able to act here without God’s permission. Jesus says that this trial would happen in

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order to test them. In his perfect wisdom, he was using even the vicious attacks of Satan to refine their faith. As Paul says in Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Are you confident in the power and wisdom of Jesus?

Nothing

is

outside

of

God’s

ultimate

control. God is at work in any trial that comes your way, even if it is initiated by Satan. Trust the wisdom of Christ!

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No matter how many people compete in an Olympic race, only one runner receives the gold medal. No one receives a prize just for finishing. In ancient times cities like Smyrna held athletic events, and the victor was crowned with an olive wreath.

Jesus draws upon that familiar picture in the second half of Revelation 2:10. He says, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” We need not fear death. A prize awaits us, like a victor’s crown, except that it is awarded to everyone who stays faithful to the finish. The prize is new life forever in — 16 —

the presence of God. Death is the end of our race here and the beginning of an eternal celebration.

Jesus describes the reward from a different perspective in verse 11. He says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.” So what is the second death? As we saw earlier Jesus broke through the barrier of death by his resurrection,

so

that

all

people,

believer

and

unbeliever, will be resurrected, brought back to life in a physical body just like Jesus was. Every person must stand before God to be judged.

Revelation 20:12-15 describes this judgment. John says, And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the — 17 —

lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

So the second death is a way of referring to hell. Some are resurrected to enter eternal life in God’s kingdom, but others are resurrected to face eternal punishment in the lake of fire.

How can you know whether your name is written in the book of life, whether you will receive this crown of life? From God’s perspective the decision has already been made. He chose the names to enter in his book of life, not according to our works, but purely by His grace. Ephesians 1:5-6 says, “He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”

From a human perspective, however, the life of faith seems like a daily battle to conquer the trials and temptations that threaten to pull us away from God. In Revelation 2:11 Jesus promises us that those who conquer, who persevere in the faith, can rest assured that their name has been written in the book of life.

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So how does this reward of Jesus help us conquer fear? In Matthew 10:28-31, Jesus says, And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

If we are are right with God through faith in Jesus Christ, we have nothing to fear. Stay focused on the reward of Jesus.

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Is fear keeping you from following Jesus? Are you afraid of what people might say? This letter to Smyrna shows us that following Christ is worth the risk of slander, poverty, prison, or even death. If you have not yet made a commitment to follow him, would you take that step today? Place your faith in the eternal one who conquered death. Receive his forgiveness for your sins and begin to walk with him.

If you are still debating in your mind whether following Christ is worthwhile, would you read the fourth chapter of the book of Acts. That chapter tells us of the opposition the early Christians faced and shows us how important Jesus was to them. You will be inspired by their example.

Are you struggling with fear? We face all sorts of fears, but none of them are worse than the second death that Jesus mentioned in this letter. Fill your mind with the thoughts we have considered today of the power, compassion, wisdom and reward of Jesus. It might help you to commit Matthew 10:28-31

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to memory so that you can meditate on those words when you are tempted to be afraid.

Finally, be bold for Christ. People need to hear of the power of Jesus over death, of his compassion and his wisdom. They need to hear how they can be saved from the second death in the lake of fire. Share Christ with someone.

May we all conquer fear through the power of Christ.

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1. What fears do you have and how do they exercise control over your life?

2. Which

of

these

four

thoughts

are

most

encouraging to you? Why?

3. What steps do you need to take to be more bold in representing Christ?

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Bryan Craddock has served as the Pastor of Calvary Bible Church East in Kalamazoo, Michigan since the church began in 2007. He is a graduate of the Master’s College and Seminary (B.A. and M.Div.) and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (D.Min.). He and his wife, Shari, live in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with their three children.

Calvary Bible Church East is an independent, nondenominational, Bible church in Kalamazoo, Michigan, guided by a three-part vision. First, we seek to understand the Bible in order to live out its teaching as Spirit-filled worshippers of God and followers of Jesus Christ. Next, we seek to deepen our love for one another as the family of God. Finally, we seek to be actively engaged in our community in order to shine Christ’s light through meeting pressing needs and communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ. For more information, visit us online at CalvaryEast.com.